Culebrita Lighthouse

Spanish-era lighthouse in Culebra, Puerto Rico
Lighthouse
18°18′49″N 65°13′39″W / 18.31361°N 65.22750°W / 18.31361; -65.22750TowerConstruction1882HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on WikidataLightFirst lit1886Deactivated1975
Faro Isla de Culebrita
Nearest cityCulebra, Puerto RicoArea1.5 acres (0.61 ha)Built1886MPSLighthouse System of Puerto Rico TRNRHP reference No.81000686[1]Added to NRHPOctober 22, 1981

Culebrita Lighthouse (Spanish: Faro Culebrita) is the only remaining Spanish-era structure in the Culebra archipelago. Construction of the lighthouse began on September 25, 1882, and was completed on February 25, 1886. The Spanish Crown built the lighthouse to help secure its claim over the main island of Culebra. It is the most eastern light outside mainland Puerto Rico. It guided navigation through the Virgin Passage and the Vieques Sound connecting in the Puerto Rico Light System with the Cape San Juan Light.

It is located on Culebrita, a mile-long, half-a-mile-wide key off Culebra, an island-municipality of Puerto Rico.[2]

It was one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the Caribbean until 1975 when the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard closed the facility. The United States Coast Guard has replaced the lighthouse with a solar powered light beacon.

The Culebrita Lighthouse was registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 1981, and to the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2001;[3] however, no work has been done to maintain the facility. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused extensive damage, and in 1995 the tower was destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn. The Culebra Foundation, starting in 1994, has tried to attract local and federal attention to save the lighthouse, but they have had little success. The lighthouse is in danger of collapsing.[4]

  • The lighthouse in 1913
    The lighthouse in 1913
  • Inside lighthouse
    Inside lighthouse
  • North Anchorage View from Faro Tower
    North Anchorage View from Faro Tower
  • Stairway inside, 2018
    Stairway inside, 2018
  • Facade of El Faro Culebrita, 2014
    Facade of El Faro Culebrita, 2014

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Puerto Rico. Office of Historian (1949). Tesauro de datos historicos: indice compendioso de la literatura histórica de Puerto Rico, incluyendo algunos datos inéditos, periodísticos y cartográficos (in Spanish). Impr. del Gobierno de Puerto Rico. p. 302. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  3. ^ GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO, JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO (December 7, 2022). "REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO" (PDF). jp.pr.gov.
  4. ^ "A punto de colapsar el Faro Culebrita" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. 2007. Archived from the original on March 17, 2007. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  • Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PR-12, "Faro Isla de Culebritas, South side of Isla Culebrita, Culebra, Culebra Municipio, PR", 13 photos, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page
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